


THE RETURN

by kingstoken



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-03
Updated: 2015-10-03
Packaged: 2018-04-24 14:33:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4923283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingstoken/pseuds/kingstoken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Podrick Payne entered.  He looked pale and frightened, but what turned Jaime’s stomach was he had Oathkeeper in his hands.</p>
            </blockquote>





	THE RETURN

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote this as alternative way for Jaime to get to Brienne without LSH, however I wrote it before season 5 and Loras' arrest

Jaime was pacing the Kingsguard room. He was thinking of his confrontation with Cersei. He could see that there was an uncrossable rift between them. He didn’t know what to think, what to feel, what to do with himself.

There was a knock on the door. Ser Loras entered.

“I am sorry to disturb you Lord Commander, but there is a young man most insistent on speaking with you”

“Who is it?”

“His name is Podrick Payne.” It took him a moment to place the name. Then he remembered he was Brienne’s squire.

“Send him in”

Podrick Payne entered. He looked pale and frightened, but what turned Jaime’s stomach was he had Oathkeeper in his hands.

“Podrick, where is Lady Brienne?”

“They are holding her hostage, Ser”

“Who is? Where? When did this happen?” Jaime demanded. Podrick looked like he was about to cry.

“He looks scared to death” said Ser Loras. Jaime hadn’t even realized he was still in the room.

“Boy, why don’t you sit down and start at the beginning” Loras reassured him. Podrick sat down and placed Oathkeeper on the table. Jaime tried not to look at the sword, and concentrate on the young man before him.

“About two, maybe three weeks ago m’lady and I stopped at an inn in the riverlands. The inn was run by children and young people who’s parents had died during the war.” Jaime wished he could hurry him along, to get to the most pertinent information.

“I don’t know all that happened next, because I was inside the inn and m’lady was out in the yard. From what I could gather, some brigands attacked, and m’lady tried to defend the inn” Gods, that did sound like something she would have been foolish enough to do, thought Jamie.

“She fought off one attacker and killed him, but another knocked her on the ground. He probably would have killed her if the inn’s smith hadn’t used his hammer to smash the man’s head in. That is where I found her, bleeding and passed out in the yard. That is also when they showed up.”

“Who?” asked Jaime

“The Brotherhood without Banners.” Shit, thought Jaime.

“They captured us, and took us to their hideout”

“Where?”

“A cave. I don’t know where. They covered my eyed so I wouldn’t know it’s location.”

“You said this was almost three weeks ago?” Podrick nodded. “Why are they sending you now? Why not sooner?”

“Because m’lady was ill with fever. For a time I was afraid she would not live.” Jaime felt a pain in his chest. “But she pulled through. Then they put us on trial for being enemies of the realm.”

“You said she tried to save the children at the inn. How could she be an enemy of the realm?”

“Because she serves the Lannisters”

“But she doesn't”

“She has a lion sword, and …” Podrick hesitated for a moment “They called her the Kingslayer’s whore.” Jaime cringed.

“She tried to tell them about finding Lady Sansa, but they didn’t believe her. They wanted her to bring them your head to prove she wasn’t serving Lannisters. She refused. Then they hanged us” Podrick turned down his collar, showing the bruising that circled his neck. Gods, Brienne, thought Jaime, what did I send you into.

“I don’t know what she said, but she stopped them from killing us. Then she promised that she would help them in anyway they needed. They argued for a time, but they decided to send me here, to you. Two men escorted me to the edge of King’s Landing. They said that if I don’t return in four days time, with you and 1000 golden dragons, they will send word to the Brotherhood and Lady Brienne will be killed.”

“Alright, I will start making the arrangements immediately” Jaime turned as if he meant to leave.

“Ser” called Podrick “You are not to come back with me.” Jaime turned to Podrick.

“I don’t understand”

“Before I left, m’lady old me that I am not to bring you to the Brotherhood. She says it’s a trap. That they will kill you if they get their hands on you. She said the most important thing was getting me to safety. I think she means to die in order to safe me.” Podrick started to cry in earnest. 

Dammit, thought Jamie, why did she have to be so self sacrificing. The fool woman.

“Podrick, listen to me, I am not going to let Lady Brienne die. Do you hear me?” Jaime turned to Ser Loras. “Ser, I may need your help.”

Loras nodded.


End file.
